Pressure cookers are not always everyone’s first preference. The explosion incidents associated with them are frightening enough to work as a deal breaker. You have heard many stories of such incidents from friends and family. But, the real question is; are pressure cookers really a dangerous appliance, or are we just using them wrong?
Explosions occur because of overfilling your pressure cooker or pouring less liquid which is not okay for creating the correct pressure. Improper cleaning causes clogging in the pressure release valve, which also causes an explosion. If you try to cook rice, pasta, and beans, food expands and causes an explosion.
The same is case with the Fagor pressure cooker. So, if you are frightened to use your new Fagor pressure cooker, then don’t worry. In this guide, we will teach you how to properly use your Fagor pressure cooker. We will also help you find the right method to use it without causing any damage.
Investing in a new pressure cooker is a little bit tricky. Read our guide about Thermador vs Miele to know which brand other than Fagor is best for you.
What is Fagor?
Fagor is Spanish brand, which is a manufacturer of home appliances. They also specialize in kitchen and laundry goods. Due to high quality build, durability, and higher cooking efficiency, Fagor pressure cookers are their most popular products.
They have a different construction with 18/10 heavy-duty stainless steel. The pressure release valve and a locking lid are safety features which set them apart from older ones. Thus, lowering the chances of exploding the cooker in your face.
- Fagor pressure cookers cook your food 70% faster than traditional methods. It creates pressure which increases the boiling point of water. This, in turn, cooks food quickly.
- When it comes to energy, these cookers use less energy and cook faster. These energy-efficient cookers save you money and time than cooking in traditional pots or pans.
- They allow various foods to cook perfectly. This includes vegetables, meat, and rice. Moreover, they prove themselves as a perfect appliance to cook soups, stews and other dishes.
- They come with a pressure indicator which shows that the pot is under pressure, however, it will not start unless the user presses down the lock button. This lowers the chances of accidents to nearly zero.
Fagor is great brand of kitchen appliances, Be sure to also check out our review on KitchenAid Vs Thermador to know which other brands are able to compete with it.
Types Of Fagor Pressure Cookers
Because Fagor is known for its pressure cookers, it offers variety of different kinds. Thus, it tries to cover every cooker user’s needs.
If you want a cooker that is usable on various stovetops like a gas burner, an electric burner, or an induction cooktop to cook your food then it’s best to choose Fagor Pressure Cookers. Those looking for an electric pressure cooker may benefit from the Fagor Electric Pressure Cooker.
As the capacity and settings are also different from model to model, you can choose as per your needs. Fagor Rapid Express allows you to cook food up to 8 quarts. At same time, Fagor Splendid creates 15 PSI and gives 6-quart capacity to cook food fast.
Fagor pressure cookers have three types and each comes with a different interface depending on type of pressure cooker.
- These stainless steel or aluminum stove top pressure cookers come with a pressure release valve and a locking lid. The interface has a few knobs and dials from which the main one is for controlling the pressure setting. Other knob dials are for controlling cooking time and temperature. You can cook anything from vegetables to meat and rice.
- The second one is electric pressure cookers which have a more complex interface with multiple buttons. They come with digital display which tells settings like current pressure, cooking time, and temperature. The added buttons are for controlling these features plus pre-setting and delaying cooking.
- The Instant Pot is also an electric one and has good reputation in the US. These are multi-cookers and perfect to pressure and slow cook, saute, steam and more. Its interface is more complex among others. The digital display with its various buttons and functions is a bit confusing. From cooking time to pressure settings and temperature, everything is controllable on it.
How To Use a Fagor Pressure Cooker
Maybe your stove or range isn’t working well that’s why you can’t make good food. While using pressure cooker, you have to be careful as it can damage not only your food but also your surroundings. So, let’s read carefully how to use your Fagor pressure cooker in the right manner.
Read Instructions
First, you can follow instructions. For that, read user manual that comes with your pressure cooker. If you don’t have that, you can follow the reference link available in online copies of instructions. Moreover, these user manuals are available on Google in PDF format.
Inspect Fagor Pressure Cooker Parts
Before starting any cooking, check the pressure cooker gasket. Are there any cracks and tears in it? Remember, the gasket is seated correctly in the lid and is pliable. Check the pressure valve and lid and ensure it is clean and free from food residue.
Prepare Ingredients
Add ingredients of food you want to cook and place them in your pressure cooker. The cooking time will be reduced to 1/3 of time consumed by the original recipe. You can cook brown meat and vegetables as per directions.
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Fill the Fagor Pressure Cooker
Don’t fill the cooker too much; it should not be not more than 2/3 full. Soups and stock should not exceed 1/2 of cooker’s volume. In addition to this, foods that expand like rice are not likely to add more than 1/2.
Add Liquid
Add liquid. Only a small amount is needed to produce steam. If you want to cook food for a short cooking time of less than 10 minutes, use at least 1/2 cup of the liquid to get the best results. Add 2 full cups of water if you cook for 10 minutes or longer. You can use water broth or any other cooking liquid to cook food in the pressure cooker. Remember, oil is necessary for browning, but you can’t put it in the pressure cooker for cooking food as a liquid. It’s not acceptable.
How to lock the Fagor Pressure Cooker?
- Put the lid on the pressure cooker’s pot top. Just locate the mark on the lid and the mark on the top. Align both of these two marks properly and press down by pushing lightly on the lid.
- Rotate the lid handle until it gets aligned with Fagor pressure cooker pot’s handle.
- You have to locate the yellow pressure lock button, press it to lock the lid and allow the pressure to build. Turn the heat on to start cooking.
Cook Your Food
Select the pressure level according to the recipe. If your recipe demands low pressure or 8 psi, then choose Fagor pressure cooker level 2 pressure, which is equal to 15 psi.
Choose high heat and let your cooker heat up until pressure indicator button raises. The indicator button indicates that your cooker has built the recommended pressure level.
Once the indicator button is on, reduce the heat and note the time of the recipe. Remember to maintain the heat to produce a gentle, steady steam. Leave it until the cooking time is complete, and turn the heat off.
Releasing Pressure
You can reduce pressure by allowing cold water to run over the cooker. You can also turn the steam-release valve to release the remaining pressure. If the recipe demands to reduce the pressure naturally, allow the cooker to cool naturally until the pressure indicator shows the pressure is down.
Opening your Fagor Pressure Cooker
Once the pressure is down, remove the lid. Remember, if the lock releases, you are able to open the cooker. If the lock doesn’t release, wait for a few minutes and try again. Carefully open the lid away from you so that you will be safe from steam heat.
The process is now complete; finish the remaining recipe as per directions.
WARNING
Never force your Fagor pressure cooker to open to avoid injury. Wait until the pressure reduces manually.
How to Clean your Fagor Pressure Cooker
Cleaning and maintaining a Fagor pressure cooker is very important for its proper and long-term use. Here we find out ways to clean the cooker properly.
- Unplug the electric pressure cooker or turn off flame under gas cooker and allow it to cool down after cooking.
- Take out the interior pot and the lid.
- Put them in sink and soak them in some warm water.
- First, clean the exterior of your Fagor pressure cooker, but never dunk it in water. To clean the outside of the cooker, use mild soap and dish cloth, so to get rid of all the grim and crumbs on its outside.
- Wash the lid and components with your hand and use dish soap and a sponge.
- Check the food particles by removing the steam-release handle. Use a damp soft cloth or sponge to remove particles, oil and crumbs.
- You have to remove its anti block shield from underside of lid to wipe the steam valve and make it clean.
- Remove the silicon ring and float valve and wipe both pieces by using damp soft cloth. To get better results, spray the cloth with diluted vinegar solution.
- Dry the parts, then pat everything down by using microfiber cloth, and take time to air dry them.
- You have to clean sealing ring which makes the lid close. Cleaning it frequently is important to remove lingering smells. After cleaning, let it air dry.
- Then you have to wash its inner pot and steam rack. The best way is hand wash it but if you want to use dishwasher, try to pick one recommended by the manufacturer.
- Dry everything completely and reassemble the Fagor pressure cooker.
Cleaning and maintaining your Fagor pressure cooker ensures that it works well and you can use longer without any issues.
Conclusion
Using a Fagor pressure cooker correctly is not only important for making the best food but also for preventing accidents. From opening the lid to closing it, the right amount of ingredients, and proper cleaning is extremely important. We have discussed everything here, so follow the process to cook your delicious food peacefully in your Fagor pressure cooker.
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